Electric snap-switch.



PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

W. S. MAYER.

ELECTRIC SNAP SWITCH. I

APPLIOATION FILED mum, 1907.

lwoomor JLHO WMmwce UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER MAYE "t, OF PHILADELPHIA, .PENNSYINANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MACHEN & MAYER ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHII 1A- DELFHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ELECTRIC SNAP-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

. Application filed January 4,1907- Serial No. 350,786-

To (ZZZ whom it inn-y concern:

Be it known that I. l/VALTER S. MAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Shap Switches, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to an improvement in electric snapswitches, and it has for its object to provides switch, the mechanism of which is simple and efficient in operation.-

My invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described in detail in the specification, set forth specifically in. the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, to which reference is to be had for a clearer understanding of my invention, and in which Figure 1 isa View showing-the receptacle or casing in section and. the operative parts in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the operative parts, portions ,of certainof the arts, being broken away,- Fig. 3 is a view coking tothe left in Fig. l Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a controlling or operating lever Fig. 5 isaview looking to the left in Fig. l; Fig. 6 a View, showing portions of supporting lugs .Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a pivoted lever, to whichthe push buttons are connected; Fig. 8 is a bottom edge view of the lever shown in Fig. 7 ,Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a portion of the lever shown in Fig.

7 with a pivoted link connected thereto Fig. 10 is a view looking to the left in Fig. 9 Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a lever which is associatedwith the lever shown in Fig. 7; and Fig. 12 is a view looking to 'the left in Fig. 11. In the drawings, l designates a receptacle or casing of suitable insulating material,

' as, for instance, porcelain, in which the operating parts of my device are located.

2 designates a cover plate extending over the said receptacle, and 3 designates the outside cover plate to which the cover plate 2 is secured.

- 5 and 6 designate lugs depending from the plate 2. 7 designates a shaft mounted in the lower end portions cfthe lugs 5 and 6. 1O designates an energizing member consisting of a coiled wire spring, the opposite ends of which-are crossed, and extend upon the opposit'esides of a portion 11 of the lever 12,

which is provided with or connected to a sleeve 13 which is supported upon the shaft. The spring lQis coiled around the sleeve 13. The portion 11 of thclever 12 is arranged in substantially'parallel relation to the shaft 7. The end. of the lever 12 upon the opposite side of the shaft 7 from the portion 11 is provided with teeth 15, which are adapted to be engaged by teeth upon the projection 16 from the central portion of the controlling lever 18, which lover or controller is pivotally connected at 20 to the lower end portion of the downwardly extending lug 5. The toothed projection may be termed a gear segment. The opposite ends of the lever 18 are connected to the lcvers ends of the push buttons 21.

The lever 18 is shaped, as indicated most clearly in Figs. 7 and 8, so that the central portion thereof, including the segmental toothed portion 16, may be located adjacent to or in contact with one of the downwardly extending projections, as for instance 5, while the end portions of the said lever 18 are located toward the middle portion of the space between the lugs 5 and 6. The push buttons 21 extend through perforations in the lates 2 and 3 and are respectively pivotal y connected to the opposite ends of the lever 18.

22 designates a link which. is pivotally connected to the middle portionofthe lever'18 nection between the sai lever 18 and the lug 5. The pivot connecting the link 22 and the lever 18 passes through a curved slot 24 in the lug 5.

By reason of the relationship between the point of connection 23 between the lever 18 and the link 22 and the point ofpivotal con nection between the lever 18 and the lug 5,

it will'he observed that a bell crank lever effect is produced.

The-outer, or,'1n the construction as illustrated in the drawings, the upper'end of the link 22 is provided with a bearing lug 25, ro-

vided with a friction sleeve 26, Whic is adapted to project intoa slot 27 in the outer end of a lever or shifter 28, which is pivotally connected to the shaft 7. Opposite the bearing lug the link 22is provided with a projecting lug 29 which is adapted to engage the outer sides of guide stops 30 secured upon are pivotally connected to the shaft 7. The

' cured to the casing 1 by means of screws 41. 1 42 designates contact brushes secured'to the binding posts and 45 designates binding portion 31 located between the-opposite ends of the coiled spring 10.

The "lower end of the depending lug?) is providedwith projections 35 at its opposite. corners, which act as stops to engage the parts Hand 31 to limit the movements of the levers 12 and 28. I

4O designates binding posts which are sescrews by means of which the linewires or aords are connected to the binding posts and placed in electrical Connection with the contact brushes 42.

In the operation of my device, one of the buttons 20 is pushed inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so that one endof the lever 18 is moved to a position lower than 'that of the other end. When this occurs,

the projection or gear segment 16 is moved through an arc of a circle and being in engagement with the teeth 15 upon the upper end of the lever 12 occasions movement of the lower end. of the latter in a direction opposite to that of the movement of the projection or gear segment 16.

In view of the fact that the portion 11 of the lever 12 is located between the ,ends of the springs 10, its movement against one of the said'ends occasions a tensioning of the said spring, as the other end thereof, which is located upon the opposite side of the portion 1.1 of the lever 12 and the portion 31 of the lever 28 is held against movement, by reason of'its contact with the said portion 31 of the lever 28.

4 Upon the initial inward or downward movement of a push button 21 (the inner or lower end of which is connected to one end of the controlling lever 18), the upper end of the link 22 is moved upwardly or outwardlyin the slot 27 of the shifter or lever 28 so as to carry the lug 29 into a position outside of or behind the stop 30. The lower end of the said button being connected to the controlling lever 18 occasions movement of the same about its pivot and by reason of the connection between the said controlling lever and the tensioning lever 12, the coiled spring. 10 is laced under tension or is energized. One end of the said spring being in engagement with the part 31 connected to the shifter or lever 28 tends to occasion pivotal movement of the latter, .but such pivotal movement is prevented by reason of the fact that the lug of the energizing spring to throw the lever 28 quickly to the opposite the controlling lever 18,the lug 29 passes 1 .above the stop 30, the upper ends of the 'leyer or shifter 28 and of the link 22 are moved quickly about their pivots to the opposite. side of the device under the influence 10. Movement of the lover or shifter 28 occasions movement of the contact arms or poles 50 which are operatively connected to the said lever or shifter. In the position indicated in Fig. ,1 of the drawings these contact arms or poles are in engagement with the contact brushes. Upon depression, however, of the. key 20 upon the left hand side of the device, the spring 10 "would be placed under tension, one end hearing upon the portion 31 connected to the lever 28, the end of the link 22 connected to the said lever 28 would slide upwardly in theslot 27, and when the point of connection between the said link and the lever had reached a position at the outer end of the said slot, the tension of the spring would be permitted side of the device, carrying said contact arms or poles 50 out of engagementwiththe contact brushes 12.

Having thus described my lnvention, I claim 1. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a pivoted lever, the-said lever being provided with a gear. segment, means for occasioning movement of the said lever, a pivoted spring tensioning lever, one end of which is provided with teeth which are adapted to engage the teeth of the gear segment, a spring, the ends of which are located u on the opposite sides of a portion of the sai spring tensioning lever, a pivoted snap lever, a portion of which upon one side of its pivotal point is located between the ends of the said spring, a link connected'at one end to the first-named lever and having its other end movably connected to the snap lever, and a contact member operatively connected to the said snap lever.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pivoted'lever, the said lever being provided with; a gear segment, means for occasioning movement of the said lever, a pivoted spring tensioning lever, one end of which is provided with teeth which. are adapted to engage the teeth of the gear segment, a'coiled wire spring, the endsof which are located u on the opposite sides of a portion of thesai spring tensioning lever, a pivoted snap lever, a 1portion of which upon one side of its pivota point is located be;

nected at one end to the first-named lever at a point to one side and above the pivotal aunt of said lever, the other end of the said link bein; pivotally and slidably connected to an end portion of the said snap lever, and means to )revent pivotal movement of the said snap iever during the movement of the said first-named lever to place the said spring under tension, operatively connected to the said snap lever. 3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a contact member, means for sup )orting the same including, a shifter, means or energizing said for imparting energy means, means inter )osed between controller and the said shifter for the movement of the latter, the posed means being the controller and sli sl I il'ter. v

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a contact member, means for supporting the same including a shifter,

the said controlling said interivotally connected to iably connected to the i means for energizing said shifter, a controller for imparting energy to the said energizing f means, a link interposed between i troller and the connected to each of the said conoperativcly and means 00- said shifter and them,

o erating with the said link to hold and release the shifter.

5. In a device of the character described,

the combination of for supporting the l means or energizing said shifter, l for imparting means, a link a contact member, means same including a shifter, a controller energy to the said energizing pivotally connected at one end to the said controller, and slidably connected to the said energizing l at its other end to the said shifter, a stop adapted to contact with the said link for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I

havehereunto signed my name this 31st day of Dec. A. D. 1906.

In tl WALTE R S. MAYER. of

LAURA KLEINFELDER. 

